The separation of germanium from acidic leach liquors has attracted great attention because of its economic implication, especially in zinc production. The electrolysis of zinc can be achieved with a good yield only when germanium has been completely eliminated from the electrolyte. This separation is therefore a preliminary operation to the recovery of zinc metal from solutions. Moreover, the recovery of germanium from such solutions constitutes the main available source of this metal, applications of which are essential in many areas such as electronics, infrared optics, fiber optics, ionized particles detection and polymer chemistry.
The leaching treatment of minerals is performed with sulphuric acid for economic reasons and leads to liquors containing chiefly zinc sulphate (about 100 g/l), germanium (IV) (0.1-1 g/l) and other elements such as cadmium, magnesium, etc. As these metals do not interfere with the electrolysis of zinc or are easily removed, a selective separation of germanium from the acid liquor would be advantageous for isolation of this metal.